Aeroplane.



I. M. MOORHOUSE.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I4. I9I4.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l. r

IN III? III T01? WITNESSES: .wwzi

A TTOR/I/E PLANOGRAP WASHINGTON D THE J. M. MOORHOUSE.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1914.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

m M W ATTOR/VY J. M. MOORHOUSE.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1914.

a m 2M 18 My M M d es t3 n e t a D1 WITNESSES:

A TTORNE Y the machine which comprises JOHN MILFORD MOOBI-IOUSE, OF WINNIPIEG, MANTTO IBA, CANADA.

AEROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 31 21, 1916,

Application filed May 14, 1914. Serial No. 838,520.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MILFORD Moon- HoUsE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, of the city of lVinnipeg; in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is the specification.

The invention relates to an aeroplane particularly to the biplane class and the objects of theinvention are to provide an adjust able top plane which can be adjusted for ascending or descending purposes and which can be banked against the bottom plane to present a large air resisting surface and arrest a downward plunge of the machine to supply adjustable ailerons at the ends of the bottomplane; to provide a stability plane located above the center of gravity point of the machine; and to provide an improved form of steering device comprising independently mounted vertical and horizontal rudders controlled. by a single hand wheel either independently or together.

With the above objects in view the invention consists essentially in. the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter more particularly described andlater pointed out in the appended claims. y

a Figure 1 is a side view of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed side elevation of a portion of the fuselage showing the aviators seat and controlling wheels adjoining the same. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in each figure.

1 represents the fuselage ormain body of four principal struts 2 passing lengthwise of the machine and connected by suitably spaced cross braces or stays 3.

4 and5 are pairs of upright standards permanently secured to the fuselage forwardly and having their upper ends connected and their lower ends spaced apart and secured to skids 6 and 7.

8 represents the bottom plane carried by a suitable rectangular frame-work 9 permanently connected to the fuselage in any suitable way. It is to be noticed that the plane is open above the fuselage this allowing of the various levers and hand Wheels later referred to.

.The frame-work of the main plane comprises two centrally'disposed struts 10 and 11, pairs of front and rear struts 12 and 13 and cross pieces 14 connecting the struts, the forward strut 12 being fastened to the main frame by a bar 15. The plane is suitably trussed by stay wires. Y

16 and 17 are pairs of upright standards extending above the main frame and carried by the struts 10 and 11, which standards are also suitably braced by stay wires passing between the standards and the plane.

18 is a top plane carried by a suitable frame-work 19, comprisingfront and rear struts 20 and 21 and cross pieces 22 connecting the struts. Pivot pins 23 support the top plane from'the standards 16 and 17 and a cross bolt 24 secures the top plane centrally and pivotally to the upper ends of the standards 4 and 5 whichit will be noticed extend above the bottom plane practically the same distance asthe standards 16 and 17.

25 is a cross shaft mounted in suitable bearings carried by the framework of the main plane and 26 and 27 are sprocket wheels fixed on the ends of the shaft and V protruding through the bottom plane.

28 and 29 are bowed rack bars permanently secured to the top plane and provided each with a series of openings 28' and 29' arranged to receive the teeth of the wheels 26, and 27. The rack bars are held in engagement with the teeth on the cross shaft.

32 represents the aviators seat located on the main frame and 33 is a hand wheel located adjoining the seat and carried by a short stub shaft 34 supplied with a chain wheel 35 connected through a chain 36 with a chain wheel 37 fixed on the shaft 25.

The aviator can swingthe top plane by turning the hand wheel 37 ,to rotate the shaft 25 which shaft in turn swings the rack bars, the teeth of the sprocket wheels 26 and 27 entering the openings 28' and 29 respectively. The inner end of the stub shaft is mounted on a suitably located bar 38.

39 is a bearing plate secured permanently bar 38 forming a guide way which receives the steering post and prevents it from beingwith a cross-head 45 to which-I havev con nected two crossed wires 46 and 47 which pass rearwardly to a steering bar 48 per manently secured to the lower end of a vertically directed bolt 49 pivotally mounted in suitable-bearing plates "50 located at the rear end' ofthe fuselage. 51 is a" vertical rudder permanently 'secured to the bolt 49. The rudder is reinforced by stay wires 52 passing from the sides thereof to the steering bar. .It is particularly to be not-iced that the rudder is shaped more'or less in the form of thetail of afish.

Iinmediately to the rear of the a viators seat I have-located a pivot'or' rocking lever 53 which is connected to'the'steeri-ng post by a coupling bar" 54, the rearend of the bar being'fastenedtothe lower end of the rocking lever v 55 is a permanent stability plane normally in the same; plane as'the top plane and sup ported bypairs' of uprights' 56 and 57 secured to the fuselage. The forwardend of the stability plane'is contracted and an chored or fastened to the cross bolt 24, the top plane being cut awayat '58to admit it.

' The rear or wide end of'thestability plane backwardlyin the-guide way. Brdl He can manipulate-both rudderstogether by tUIIllisreinforced by stay wires 59 passing over a'truss 60 located on the top of the stability planeand tied to the plane and tozthe fuselage. Details of'this construction are not entered into as any suitablemanner. of

bracing can be'used. i

61 is a horizontal .rudder-hinged-at 62 to the rear'end of'the'stability plane; The rudder carries centrally an upwardly directed bracket 63" and" a downwardly directed bracket 63 which brackets] areficonn'ected by cables or wires 64 and 65 with theends of therockin-glever53.

'According to the construction-hereinbefore disc-losed iit will be seen that one can getany' of the three movements of the;rud-' d'ers-now given.- -1st.,I -Ie can swing the vertical' rudder without moving the horizontal rudder by-simply turning the hand wheel. 2nd; He can manipulate the horizontal rudder without" moving the vertical rudder by swinging the steering post forwardly or iIrg -the hand wheel and at'thesametime swinging 'the steering? post' forwardly ,or backwardly. i

66*an-d 67-are ailerons pivotally secured at 68" to-the-ends of the main or bottom plane. The ailerons carry' upwardly extending brackets 69 whichjare* connected one' to the '"ether-by a' cross :rod 70 eXtendinga'bovetlie main plane. A turn-buckle 71 is inserted in the rodfor adjusting purposes.

72 is a horizontally disposed control lever secured at 72 to a quadrant 7 2 permanently fast'ened to the framework of the main plane. The lever is connected, to the cross rod by a pin 73 carried by the rod,the pin operating in suitable slots formed in the lever and a strap 74- carried by the lever.

The lever is fitted witha hand latch 75 and detent 7 6the detent operatingjover the quadrant. The control lever extends backwardly within convenient range of: the aviators seat so'that he can dip the ailerons at will swinging the lever in one direction or the other. a

77'represents an engine mounted1'irr-the for'wardend of the fuselage an d 78-'a propeller mounted on the engine shaft 79. r

80 are'landing wheels rotatably mounted in the ends skids.

of a cross axle 81 carried by the p It is tobe noticed that the stability plane islocated above the fuselage and aviators seat, that is, abovethe center of gravity point of the machine and that'it-is located farther in'the same plane as the-top plane so that a large air resisting area is exposed? I fe'ature-of-the topplanef This adjusting feature; is particularly useful when/the aviator wishes to descend as he can; retard I Wish, also to call attention'to the adi-us'table the machinewin its downward flight by swinging the top plane until its rear edge' I: v restsagainst the bottom plane, This ex poses a large resistingarea to the air entrap plng it between the planes. 7 7 What I claim as my.1nvention'is:-

1. In anaeroplane the combinationiwith V a fuselage,- a; horizontally disposed -main plane mounted on'the fuselage, a horizon: tally disposed stability plane elevated above the fuselage,-a horizontally disposed rudder pivotally-connected to the; rear end'of the stability plane and'a vertically disposed rudderpivotallyconnected to therear end of thefu selagegof a rotatably mounted spindle carried by the fuselage and provided with .EL cross head suitably connected .with' the vertically disposed rudder; a steering post connected with the spindle by means ofa universal joint and provided with'a suit able hand wheel, a rocking lever carried, by

the fuselage to the rear of the steering post, a' suitable connection between-the rocking lever and'the horizontally disposed rudder, a" couplingbar'connecting the rocking lever with the steering post and guide bars.

carried by the fuselage and form'ing a guide wayforthe steering post. said bars being arranged to prevent lateral movement of the steering post, as and for the: purpose specified;

I'indm plane th'e combination'witha fuselage and a main horizontally disposed plane mounted forwardly on the fuselage and extending transversely across the same, of a horizontally disposed, longitudinally directed stability plane elevated above the fuselage and having the forward end thereof contracted and the rear portion thereof Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the directed stability plane elevated above the fuselage and having the forward end thereof contracted and the rear portion thereof gradually increasing in width in passing backwardly, the forward end of said stability plane being disposed centrally above the main plane, a transversely extending, normally horizontally disposed adjustable top plane superimposed above the main plane and having a portion of the rear side thereof cut away to admit the contracted forward end of the stability plane and a horizontally disposed rudder pivotally connected to the rear end of the stability plane.

Signed at Winnipeg this 6th day of August, 1913.

JOHN MILFORD MOORHOUSE. In the presence of- G. S. ROXBURGH, S. SIBERT.

Commissioner 01' Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

